How PRHS can apply lessons from other states/countries on returning to campus safely. 

With the new semester at Paso Robles High School comes the question of whether we should return to in-person schooling, and how it can be done safely. By looking at accounts from students and teachers from schools that have gone back to campus, we can see how the experience may be for Paso High and what difficulties we might encounter.

In May of 2020, Israeli officials deemed it safe to return to in person schooling. The mask policies in the schools were lax, and due to a massive heat wave forced classrooms to close their windows, reducing ventilation. According to EducationWeek.org, nearly 250 schools were forced to shut down soon after reopening. Some South Korean schools were forced to close as soon as one day after reopening, as social distancing protocols were often broken by students. 

PRHS administration is taking careful precaution to keep students safe and in school after the return. In a letter to students and parents, school principal Anthony Overton outlined the administration’s plan for hybrid learning. Precautions include requiring students and staff to wear face masks at all times, remain socially distanced, and have their temperature checked before entering campus. Students will be sent home if they show any symptoms, and will not be allowed to return to campus without remaining symptomless for 10 days or until they have received a negative COVID test result. Students will also be split up into morning and afternoon groups to make it easier for them to socially distance. 

While school administration has laid out a thorough plan for student safety, it is still up to the students to follow the guidelines and keep themselves and their peers safe. Junior Seth Babb expressed optimism in his classmates’ abilities to follow the rules, stating, “Despite reluctance on some students’ parts to wear masks, I believe overall students will follow COVID guidelines if it means staying in person and perhaps moving back into traditional education”. 

In the US, students who have returned to in-person school have given mixed reactions to the return. In an article by the New York Times, various students gave their experiences and struggles with the return to in-person school. A common theme between them is a fear that the return is too soon, and that the precautions put in place were not enough to keep the students safe, one student from Indiana stated, “It makes me nervous for how quickly everyone is going to be quarantined and put out of school,”. 

Junior Tyler Woodard expressed similar worries, stating, “I think it’s unrealistic to expect that all students will follow proper protocol at all times. If we do end up going back it’ll most likely just cause another increase in cases”. 

In the end, a successful return to campus will be through the efforts of staff and students to make PRHS a healthy and safe learning environment.